Review Summary: I'll get back to you someday soon, you will see...
In assessing the 2010s as a decade, it's difficult to think of a folk act that enjoyed as much success or carried as much influence as Fleet Foxes. The band dropped one modern classic after another with their beautifully cavernous self-titled album, the expansively lush
Helplessness Blues, the swirling progressive instrumentation and avant-garde songwriting of
Crack-Up and, finally, the totally liberated melodies of
Shore. We've seen quality live releases from the band before, but never anything as well-produced or wholly summative as
Live On Boston Harbor. This feels like Fleet Foxes' definitive live experience – an absolutely essential addition to any longtime fan's collection.
With
Live On Boston Harbor, we're treated to an immaculately produced experience. It manages to distill all the band's best live traits and bring them to the forefront of the mix, resulting in a crystal clear listen that retains that "live magic" along with all of Fleet Foxes' irresistible charm. Fans of
Shore will be delighted to see that the setlist skews towards the band's most recent release early on, kicking things off with 'Wading In Waist-High Water', 'Sunblind', and 'Can I Believe You' in succession. Uwade Akhere, who performed backing vocals at times on
Shore, once again joins the band on stage and uses her transcendent voice to set the scene. Pecknold sounds incredible throughout, consistently delivering his trademark blend of ruggedly melodic tunes, and rising to the occasion when it calls for it – such as that all-too-recognizable verse on 'The Shrine/An Argument' when he delivers that raspy, nearly
screamed "Sunlight over me no matter what I do" and it sounds even better than it did on
Helplessness Blues. The band is brimming with charisma, too – they interact with fans casually, and at one point even joking, "thank you so much for pretending to have a good time for our film" (for those not in-the-know, the video for this concert is readily available online for free). In listening to
Live On Boston Harbor, you'll feel like you are standing just a few rows back from the stage.
Fleet Foxes' discography is well represented here, with songs from every LP and even some inclusions from their
Sun Giant EP. There's a keen blend of deeper cuts ('Mearcstapa' and its frenzy of woodwinds/horns lands beautifully near the end of the performance's first half) and known favorites, including 'Sunblind', 'Third of May / Ōdaigahara', 'White Winter Hymnal', 'Grown Ocean', 'Going-To-The-Sun-Road', and 'Helplessness Blues'. At twenty seven songs which span just over two hours, fans of
any Fleet Foxes era will walk away completely satisfied. Often, especially with recordings of lengthy sets, you can feel the energy dip at certain points within the performance – but there is no such fatigue here, as Fleet Foxes play, sing, and entertain with a sense of fervor for the entire evening. And while there may be no lowlights, there certainly
are highlights. Their performance of 'Featherweight' lives up to every bit of sparkling lushness that made it one of
Shore's most brilliant gems; the glowing, natural beauty of 'Going-To-Sun-Road' sounds even better with Uwade singing over live brass horns; 'For A Week Or Two' and 'It's Not My Season' sound so intimate that you can practically feel the reverberations of Robin's acoustic guitar. The absolute pinnacles of this performance, however, still come from the long-time classics. 'The Shrine/An Argument' is the best that Fleet Foxes has
ever sounded, and not just for Robin's unreal vocal performance – the entire band brings the kind of passion that concert goers
dream of experiencing when they head out to see their favorite band play. It's an energy that is arguably only topped one time here – when they close out the show with 'Helplessness Blues', featuring an extended outro – and draw the figurative curtains with a wave of nostalgia so intense and real that it'll knock you flat.
Live shows are often only as good as your relationship with the artist. I've attended concerts where I'm only partially familiar with the act – perhaps they were opening for the group I was
really there to see, and I just knew their popular songs – and I can tell you that it doesn't hit nearly the same as having a history with the band...this tangible, emotional
connection. Those who have been following Fleet Foxes on their journey since 2008 – or even 2011 when they raised the bar with
Helplessness Blues – will be floored by just how beautiful of a moment
Live On Boston Harbor is. Sure, it's their longest show ever and it covers a ton of ground – but you can feel the mutual love between Fleet Foxes and their audience; it's a symbiotic relationship that seems to give the band endless life. As a moment, it's pure magic – and as one of those fans who has been around since '08, I'm pretty damn grateful that Fleet Foxes were able to capture it.
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